The legislation to require cursive writing in Tennessee schools contains six devious amendments designed to roll back much of the hard work done to improve schools' performance.

OUR VIEW

It is easy to become bemused about the latest debates on what technologies should be allowed or taught in public school classrooms.

In virtually the same breath, we have the state legislature debating a mandate that students learn an ancient "technology," the ability to write in cursive, and Metro Nashville Public Schools proposing that students and teachers have more freedom to use Twitter, the social media tool of abbreviated communication, and video site YouTube.

The idea of requiring students to "master" cursive writing by the third grade was roundly welcomed by Tennessean readers, but it was not a good idea to pass HB 1697/SB 1881, even before it was amended. The legislature should not attempt to micromanage school curriculum, whether for fine motor skills or culture wars.

Now, it is a horrendous idea to pass the bill, which has become a vehicle to roll back much of the investment and hard work to improve the performance of Tennessee schools. Six devious amendments completely change the intent of HB 1697. In addition to requiring cursive writing, it would ban the implementation of higher standards for classroom performance, already in place in many districts, and ban the state from administering the tests associated with the stricter standards. It is a legislative bait and switch that reflects the arrogance of some of our politicians.

Requiring children to learn cursive is a popular idea that the state department of education should consider, but the legislature should stop using a popular idea to undermine the governor's effort to improve our schools.

At the other end of the technology spectrum, the Nashville school system's proposal to open its computer networks to allow teachers and students to use Twitter and YouTube in the classroom is fraught with opportunity for abuse, but is a good idea because it gives teachers more control of their classrooms, and parents the ability to opt their children out.

Embracing the opportunity and connection that are afforded by digital and social media is a good idea as long as MNPS administrators are closely monitoring its use, and have a clear policy to deal with abuse.

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Tennessee's popular cursive bill is a legislative bait and switch

Don't be fooled by the legislature's cursive bill, and let's be careful with social media in Nashville's schools.